We know marriage isn’t always filled with cuddly moments and romantic sunsets. 

It can be frustrating, maddening, and, well, a little bit dull at times! 

That’s life. 

But if you love and respect your spouse you should be just fine.

Here are five habits, though, that will pull a “Chernobyl” on your marriage and make your relationship so radioactive that your spouse will flee emotionally, sexually, or physically sooner or later:

1) Be selfish.  

Want to nuke your marriage? Put yourself first! And make sure you get what you want before giving your spouse what they want. 

Want a happier, healthier marriage? Be a giver not a taker in ALL things.

2) Be thoughtless and rude.

Does your spouse like things to be neat and clean? But that’s not really important to you because you’re not a neat-freak, or because you think you're kind of cute & eccentric?

And despite knowing what they want, you ignore what matters to them, and so you leave dirty clothes on the floor or let dishes pile up in the sink to the point where even YOU need one of those yellow hazmat suits to avoid going to the emergency room!

Want a happier, healthier marriage? Be helpful, thoughtful and polite even when it’s about something that’s not really important to you or you feel your spouse is being kind of silly. 

3) Be combative. 

Do you know someone who bickers, criticizes or complains about every…little…thing?

Sane, healthy, well-balanced people prefer peace to war. 

Here’s a thought: To break bad habits, some people snap a rubber band against their wrist to interrupt the negative pattern. 

If you have a sneaking suspicion that maybe it's YOU who might be struggling with bickering, criticizing or complaining from time-to-time, maybe it's time to wear a rubber band. Just something to think about...

Want a happier, healthier marriage? Let your interactions with your spouse overflow with a spirit of peacefulness, gratitude, and words of encouragement. 

4) Be manipulative.

Manipulation is using leverage to force someone to do what’s in OUR best interest; it’s a subtle form of selfishness.

Some partners use guilt to get their way.

Or prey upon their spouse’s sympathy to manipulate behavior. 

Others buy gifts, OR, and this is very, very subtle, do something they KNOW their spouse really wants/likes BUT ONLY as a form of coercion to get what THEY really want. 

Want a happier, healthier marriage? Stop giving to get. 

These are a few things that create a radioactive marriage. 

But when you begin practicing the OPPOSITE behavior of these habits, your marriage will start to heal, and love will grow again.

Until next time, this is Mike & Gayle Tucker and we want you to

be mad about marriage